Floatable collar

Abstract

A floatable collar having a floatable chin bar to secure the collar on the neck of the swimmer and having an inflatable and expandable section to provide greater buoyancy and stability to the swimmer.

I claim: 
     
       1. A floatable safety device comprising a floatable collar capable of being placed around the neck of a swimmer, said collar including a non-inflatable, relatively rigid U-shaped portion that extends around the back of the swimmer's neck and an inflatable and expandable tubular portion that connects the ends of the U-shaped portion, a buoyant, hollow chin bar subdividing the collar so that a subdivided portion of the collar which excludes the inflatable and expandable portion encircles the swimmer's neck to provide buoyancy to help keep the swimmer's head afloat without disengaging the collar from the neck of the swimmer, and means connecting the ends of the chin bar across the U-shaped portion for adjustment relative to the said U-shaped portion of the collar to facilitate tightening of the collar and chin bar around the swimmer's neck. 
     
     
       2. A floatable safety device as set forth in claim 1 in which the inflatable and expandable portion of the collar is the portion subdivided by the chin bar that is in front of the swimmer's face and in front of the chin bar. 
     
     
       3. A floatable safety device as set forth in claim 1 in which the chin bar is adjustably connected at one end along the axis of the collar and is detachably connected at the other end to the collar. 
     
     
       4. A floatable safety device as set forth in claim 3 in which the adjustable end of the chin bar is a ring and the detachable end of the chin bar is a yoke defined by a pair of bendable prongs. 
     
     
       5. A floatable safety device as set forth in claim 1 in which the inflatable and expandable part of the collar is an accordian shaped elastic section. 
     
     
       6. A floatable safety device as set forth in claim 1 including valve means forming part of the collar to inflate the inflatable and expandable part of the collar. 
     
     
       7. A floatable safety device as set forth in claim 1 including means on the collar for retaining the ends of the chin bar in adjusted position.